For the third time in it’s history, Bound For Glory emanated from the state of Illinois.
While you can debate on whether this show was just as good as the previous BFG events that took place in the ‘Prairie State’, it can’t be argued that the 2023 edition wasn’t a good show that ended with an earth shattering video package and announcement that signaled the return of TNA Wrestling making this the final PPV of the IMPACT Wrestling Era…Welcome to Pop Culture Sports and here are 10 Interesting Facts About Bound For Glory 2023.
10. CM Punk was Offered an Contract Days Earlier
Chick Magnet Punk’s 2023 saw him make a polarizing return to All Elite Wrestling after his infamous run-in with the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega in 2022 only the CM Punk in AEW experiment to end with a controversial departure from the promotion following an altercation between himself and AEW star, ‘Jungle Boy’ Jack Perry before wrestling Samoa Joe at All In.
The final months of 2023 would see ‘Straight Edge Superstar’ making his return to the WWE at that year’s Survivor Series to a standing ovation and to the frustrations of Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins.
However in between Punk’s AEW exit and WWE return, he actually made a few behind the scenes appearances in TNA to support fellow wrestler, Trinity aka Naomi while also getting to hang out with the locker room and even reportedly played a game of Uno.
This soon began discussions that IMPACT were looking to sign the former WWE Champion and apparently a contract was given to Punk days before their Bound For Glory PPV. Around the same time names like Mercedes Moné and Will Ospreay were also circling free agency and potential offers from IMPACT with some speculating that Punk could make his return to the company for first time since 2004.
Disputes over money would ultimately prevent Punk from signing, but the cash would be used on another former WWE superstar when Nic Nemeth aka Dolph Ziggler was revealed to be the company’s big free agent signing after Nemeth’s surprise attack and debut in the final moments of Hard To Kill 2024.
9. No Knockouts Tag Title Match on the PPV
Killer Kelly and Masha Slamovich became two of the fastest rising stars for TNA and soon crossed paths in a number of matches before eventually become a tag team known as MK Ultra and winning the Knockouts Tag Team Titles at Slammiversary.
Going into Bound For Glory, Kelly and Masha were being targeted by the makeshift team of Deonna Purrazzo and Tasha Steelz leading to a title match being set for the pay-per-view, however if you’ve watched the PPV when it aired, then you might’ve notice that this title bout wasn’t televised.
Instead, the Knockouts Tag Titles match was aired as an exclusive the company’s YouTube Channel as part of their short lived Main Event Mondays special…The champions retained the gold in a servable match, making this the first time since 2009 the belts didn’t change hands.
8. Purrazzo’s Fourth Straight Loss
Since returning to the company back in the Summer of 2020, Deonna Purrazzo had been one of the most celebrated and decorated Knockouts in recent memory…Unfortunately the Virtusoa’s luck hasn’t been so good when comes to Bound For Glory.
In previous years, Deonna came up short in all of her matches losing to both Su Yung and Mickie James for the Knockouts World Championship at Bound For Glory 2020 and ’21.
BFG 2022 continued this losing streak when she and her best friend, Chelsea Green lost the Knockouts Tag Team Titles to the Death Dollz earning Purrazzo her third straight loss at Bound For Glory…her fourth and most recent loss saw Purrazzo eating the pin in that aforementioned Knockouts tag title match in 2023 and with contract set to expire in early 2024, Purrazzo packed up and signed with All Elite Wrestling.
7. The Rascalz 0-3 at BFG
Turns out Deonna Purrazzo isn’t the only wrestlers on the IMPACT/TNA roster who couldn’t buy themselves a win at Bound For Glory as the company’s resident ‘High Fliers’ have also had some rotten luck.
At Bound For Glory 2023, The Rascalz put their World Tag Team Titles on the line against Ace Austin and Chris Bey of the ABC; Despite the match being a good one, it would be Austin and Bey who would walk out as the new Tag Team Champions.
In addition to their losses on the pre-shows of BFG 2019 and 2020, the Rascalz have yet to win a match at Bound For Glory as a tag team although individually, Trey Miguel is the only one in the group to have picked up a win after becoming the new X Division at BFG 2021.
6. PCO Revealed The Monster’s Ball Match in Advance
The French Canadian Frankenstein became a favorite amongst IMPACT fans since his debut in early 2022 due to his high risk antics and the over-the-top nature of his gimmick.
However PCO might’ve made a little mistake when during online signing event he accidentally let loose information about a four way monster’s ball match between himself, Rhino, Moose and Steve Maclin that was set to take place at Bound For Glory.
The only problem was….TNA hadn’t advertise or mentioned the match yet so PCO spoiled the announcement in advance; Evidently he didn’t suffer any punishment for this as he would go on and win that match at Bound For Glory, but it wasn’t the only big news surrounding PCO and the company.
5. PCO Re-Signed with the Company Days Later
So after PCO’s unintentional spoiler of the monster’s ball and then going on to win said match, more news emerged regarding the former Ring of Honor World Champion.
Just a few days after the event, PCO had re-signed a contract with the company which silenced any ideas of him potentially leaving IMPACT as his previous deal was set to expire soon afterward.
PCO would be just one of several wrestlers who either re-signed or signed with the company in the days and months that followed…Considering what role, PCO would play in helping to sell out Slammiversary 2024, it’s a good thing he stayed.
4. Ospreay vs. Bailey: 5 Star Classic
Despite some impressive matches taking place at Bound For Glory like the tag title match, the Call Your Shot Gauntlet and the main world title match…Absolutely nothing compares to the instant classic that Mike Bailey and Will Ospreay had on the show.
For nearly 18 minutes, ‘Speedball’ and ‘The Billy Goat’ torn metaphorical the house down, rebuilt the house before tearing it down again with the crowd eating at the palm of there hands.
The match was so great that it made Dave Melzter give the company a five star rating for one there matches, which is the first time something like this has happened since Unbreakable 2005 when AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels got the company a five star rated match after their three way encounter for the X Division title.
Ospreay would one up himself a few months later when in January of 2024 he fought Josh Alexander in a rematch of their first encounter post BFG with that getting five and half stars, making it the highest rate match in company history according to Dave Melzter.
3. Mickie’s First BFG Loss in Years
The first time ever one-on-one meeting between Mickie James and Trinity Fatu aka WWE’s Naomi was by all accounts a good match, nothing about the match really sticks out but the action was pretty good and it all Trinity to pick up the victory over the former Knockouts World Champion.
Since this defeat, we haven’t seen Mickie James inside a TNA/IMPACT Wrestling although the door is open for a return if and when that happens.
Mickie’s loss as the hands of Trinity is actually the first time James has loss at Bound For Glory in sometime; Before this, she loss a four way Knockouts Title match at Bound For Glory 2012 with Velvet Sky winning her first of two TNA Knockouts Championships.
2. Josh Alexander’s First Loss in Two Years
The main event between Josh Alexander and Alex Shelley for the IMPACT World Championship was a great way to end the show; While their first encounter at Emergence 2022 was a bit better, their second match was a worthy sequel.
In addition to this being the first time Shelley has ever main event BFG and had a singles victory at the event, this match is also notable for being Josh Alexander’s first singles loss in two years.
Between 2021-23 ‘The Walking Weapon’ was protected and made to look like a world beater in the process with the only times Alexander loss where in tag matches were someone else took the fall or he would lose via disqualification at the hands of Joe Doering and Brian Myers.
Speaking of Myers, the former TNA Digital Media Champion became the last person to pin Josh Alexander on IMPACT programming when he defeated Josh in a preshow match for Hard To Kill 2021…Last person to beat Josh before his undefeated streak was someone well known as a tag team wrestler and that streak ended at the hands of someone well known as a tag team wrestler, quite poetic if not ironic.
1. Shelley Became the 3rd Man to Fight for the All Three Major Titles
The main event of Josh Alexander and Alex Shelley for the IMPACT Wrestling World Championship was an incredible match and a major then worthy sequel to their previous bout at Emergence 2022.
While some may know that this match marked Josh Alexander’s third straight appearance in the main event of Bound For Glory, what you probably don’t know is that Alex Shelley made some history in his own right.
Shelley’s win and participation in the main event makes him the three wrestler to have fought for the X Division, Tag Team and World Title at Bound For Glory with him being one of several wrestlers to fight for the X Division Championship at Bound For Glory 2009 and then a year later he and tag team partner, Chris Sabin successfully defended their tag team titles against Generation Me aka The Young Bucks at Bound For Glory 2010 .
The first wrestler to achieve this milestone was AJ Styles who competed for all three titles at BFG between Bound For Glory 2005-2009, Jeff Hardy became the second man to do so when he fought for all three between Bound For Glory 2010-16.
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